BADIN, Nov 19: Sugarcane growers took out a procession in Shaheed Fazil Rahu on Tuesday on the call of the Sindh Small Growers Association.

They marched on the main roads of the town, raising slogans against the sugar mill owners and demanded that sugarcane crushing season should be immediately started and they should be paid arrears.

The protesters accused the government of allowing the millers to delay payments of arrears worth Rs3 billion.

They said the attitude of the mill owners had caused a setback to sugarcane growers and accused them of deliberately creating hardships for the growers.

Speaking on the occasion, Deewan Aromal demanded that cases should be registered against the sugar mill owners for violating the government orders.

Arbab Wazir Memon said the mill owners should hold talks with sugarcane growers.

HYDERABAD: Sindh Abadgar Board president Abdul Majeed Nizamani has expressed concern over the delay in the start of sugarcane crushing season, saying it will not only affect growers but will also lead to wheat shortage in the province.

Talking to this correspondent by telephone here on Wednesday, he said only Matiari and Sanghar sugar mills had started the crushing season while the other mills had only started their boilers to escape accountability.

He pointed out that wheat sowing had already started in Sindh and said wheat production target in Sindh could not be achieved as the crop could be cultivated after harvesting sugarcane.

The Sindh cane commissioner was not available at his office for comments.